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Traffic light cracker in the exploratory paper: two central points bear Lindner's signature - double dampers for green

2021-10-16T07:03:33.661Z


The traffic light exploratory paper is ready. Including some striking key points. Who from the SPD, Greens and FDP had to back down where - and who can be happy.


The traffic light exploratory paper is ready.

Including some striking key points.

Who from the SPD, Greens and FDP had to back down where - and who can be happy.

Berlin - SPD, Greens and FDP have taken a big step towards the traffic light coalition: The explorers of the three parties not only recommended the start of coalition talks - but also in a twelve-page paper (the wording can be found at Merkur.de *) first, very concrete basics noted.

Perhaps the biggest surprise here: Although not all questions have been resolved by any means, in some places painful compromises are already recognizable - for all parties.

The explorers said on Friday that they were looking for “not just formula compromises”.

In fact, in some areas it is more or less clear to the reader of the paper where the journey is headed.

There are bitter pills for the Greens * (for example with the CO2 price and the speed limit), the SPD * (with tax relief for low-wage earners), but also for the FDP * (for example with the minimum wage and relief for high earners) and their respective groups of voters discover.

After all, the parties are almost worlds apart in some areas, such as taxes and finance.

In other areas, the parties probably came to an agreement very quickly - for example on the subject of migration, setting the course for socio-political issues or reducing bureaucracy.

It is obvious that some projects with the Union would be unthinkable.

For example, the proposed lowering of the voting age.

The most important contents at a glance:

Traffic light negotiations: The subject of the climate - no change in the CO2 price, no speed limit, but Paris in mind?

In terms of climate, the three traffic light parties want to go further than the GroKo - and, for example, draw up a "cross-sectoral" and multi-year "overall account". Of course, the focus is on the Greens. The eco party was able to prevail with a few election program points *: For example, when two percent of the country's area was used for wind power or mandatory solar roofs for new commercial buildings. Also “ideally” coal should be phased out by 2030. In what is probably the most striking point, the FDP apparently got the upper hand *.

Because there is no longer any talk of a CO2 price or the envisaged energy money for the citizens.

Instead, emissions trading is to be "revised".

There should be relief through the abolition of the EEG surcharge in the electricity price.

In this area, however, there is still a lot more possible to make more precise.

The Greens also have to swallow another toad: a speed limit should not come.

Another clear announcement can be found for the combustion engine.

From 2035 “only CO2-neutral vehicles could be registered”.

Controversial topic of finance and taxes: End of the wealth tax - no relief for low-wage earners?

The SPD and the Greens want to relieve the burden on small and medium-sized wage earners and tighten higher income earners for tax purposes - the FDP was categorically against tax increases. According to the exploratory paper, the result could be a tax policy standstill. Plans such as wealth taxes seem off the table, as do major tax breaks. There is simply no mention of the second in the paper: “We will not introduce any new taxes on assets and we will not increase taxes such as income tax, company tax or value added tax,” write the explorers. Only “super depreciation” should help with private investments.

Where should the money for the desired investments come from?

There is not much in the paper, the decisive sentence clearly bears the signature of the FDP: They want to "review superfluous, ineffective and environmentally and climate-damaging subsidies and expenditures".

Traffic light coalition: SPD and work - the minimum wage is coming, the FDP is given "space for experimentation"

The clearest message: The minimum wage of 12 euros *, which the SPD vehemently demanded, could probably become a reality with the traffic light.

After the "one-off adjustment", however, the minimum wage commission should take over again.

In return, there are new limits for mini and midi jobs - at 520 and 1,600 euros, respectively.

In addition, there should be "experimental rooms" within the framework of collective agreements, in which the maximum daily working hours could fall.

Solo self-employed should be "better protected".

Here, too, it is still possible to formulate and clarify vigorously.

Traffic light and pension: a guarantee for the SPD and a share plan for the FDP

A central sentence in the exploratory paper for Olaf Scholz 'SPD: “We will therefore strengthen the statutory pension and secure the minimum pension level of 48 percent. There will be no cuts in pensions and no increase in the statutory retirement age. ”In direct return, however, the FDP also has a wish fulfilled. A "partial funding of the statutory pension insurance" is to come. The pension fund should get 10 billion euros - and they should also be allowed to invest in the capital market.

The traffic light explorers are planning a really big leap in private old-age provision.

A compulsory but deselectable “fund” is to be “checked”, and offers other than Riester products may also be eligible for funding.

Including grants for lower income groups.

Incidentally, private insurers should also remain a player in health insurance - statutory and private systems should be retained here.

Hartz IV will be the topic for the traffic light: Citizens' money is in the exploratory paper

"Instead of the previous basic security (Hartz IV *) we will introduce a citizen's money", it says in the exploratory conclusion of the SPD, Greens and FDP.

The exact design remains a bit cloudy.

On the one hand, increases and simplifications are indicated - the citizens' money should respect "dignity", rather accommodating corona rules on safe assets and apartment sizes should remain.

On the other hand, however, it can also be read: “We are sticking to our duty to cooperate” and the citizens' benefit should “focus on helping people return to the labor market.”

Traffic light paper: Are children and education a key issue?

Plans for basic security and student loans

FDP boss Lindner also proclaimed “opportunities for advancement” as a goal on Friday.

A reflection in the exploratory paper: There should be a basic child protection model, funds should be paid out "automatically".

At the same time, the long-neglected student loan is to be reformed.

We are talking about a parent-independent model.

Another catchy plan: the much-discussed lowering of the voting age is to come.

"We want to lower the voting age for the elections to the German Bundestag and European Parliament to 16 years".

Economy: traffic light promises money for research

All three parties called for “investments” in the election campaign.

The SPD and the Greens had the state in mind, the FDP also the private companies.

The chapter on economic policy now contains both - albeit no specific plan for financing.

In any case, subsidies - for example for start-ups and innovation projects - should be "unbureaucratised", spending on research and development should increase to 3.5 percent of the gross domestic product, state banks could secure risk investments.

Structurally weak regions are to be promoted.

Traffic light and the questions of renting and living: A compromise without a lot of throws?

The traffic light explorers would like 400,000 new apartments annually, 100,000 of which are publicly funded.

The part of the solution to be found in the paper sounds a bit like the days of prefabricated building: “Serial construction, digitization, de-bureaucratisation and standardization” should reduce costs.

A rent cap was apparently not to be made with the FDP.

However, existing instruments should not be eliminated: "We will therefore evaluate and extend the current tenant protection regulations," says the paper.

A new element would be the “non-profit residential property” that was also mentioned.

Migration, rights for women, trans and homosexuals: Ampel finds many socio-political correspondences

The SPD, Greens and FDP devote a large chapter to social policy - common positions were apparently to be found here very quickly. The thrust: everything is becoming a little more liberal. "We want to adapt our legal system to social reality," it says. In the eyes of the parties, among other things, "the nationality law, the family law, the right of parentage and the transsexual law as well as the regulations on reproductive medicine". Among other things, “communities of responsibility” or a “pact for living together” should become possible.

There should also be relief for labor migration, residence rights and naturalizations. The SPD, Greens and FDP are calling for a “modern citizenship law”, a “points system” for recruiting skilled workers, but also a secure residence status for well-integrated and economically independent people - including “changing lanes” *. There is also a passage on asylum policy in the text: The Basic Law, Human Rights and Refugee Conventions mandate “to end dying in the Mediterranean as well as suffering at the European external borders. We want to regulate the procedures for refugee migration and combat the exploitative conditions on the escape routes. "

At the same time, the traffic light parties want to fight the “gender pay gap”, promote the participation of women - but also critically examine interventions by the security authorities.

And in-depth: they want to "take a holistic view of the state's powers to intervene and carry out a general revision of the security architecture," it says.

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Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

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Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-10-16

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